SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A bill to decrease the cost of administering epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis and increase availability of the drug to EMS providers was sent to the governor’s desk Wednesday.
Illionis Senate Bill 3335 permits EMRs, EMTs, and paramedics who have completed an administration of epinephrine course to administer epinephrine using a syringe to draw from a glass vial. Under current law, it can only be dispensed using epinephrine auto-injectors.
“Our budget for two rural fire departments is very limited,” Mahomet district trustee Jim Jones told WANDTV. “Right now, we are forced to buy four EpiPens and four junior Ep-Pens every year, which cost us a total of $2,400 a year. This would allow us to purchase vials for less than $50. That’s a huge cost savings.”